Project information

Early Days Task Force

Early Days Task Force will support patients and carers who have been newly diagnosed as incurable. This is a frightening and stressful time for both patients and carers who are faced with this devastating diagnosis, and early engagement will ensure they are better supported and more able to cope.

Charity information: Saint Francis Hospice

Need

It is a frightening and stressful time for patients who have been newly diagnosed as incurable, and many are unaware of the choices and support available to them through hospice care. Carers are often unprepared to care for a patient and exasperated with the limited support available.

Solution

Early Days Task Force will ensure patients are aware of the choices and support available to them at different stages of their illness and give them an understanding of how hospice care can support their care choices, improve their quality of life, give them increased independence and mobility so that they are better able to cope. Early carer engagement will ensure that they are better able to cope and provide support to the person they are caring for.

What success will look like

Impact

Patients and carers will be better supported through crisis and more able to cope, improving quality of life.

Risk

Demand for hospice care is increasing. To be able to support increased demand we have restructured community nursing and will train volunteers to provide additional support to patients and carers where appropriate.

Location

Saint Francis Hospice supports people living in Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge and Brentwood at their homes and at the hospice.

Beneficiaries

National End of Life Care statistics (August 2012) reported that in Havering, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham 65% of patients die in hospitals. 66% want to die at home, but only 19% do so. 28% suffer from cancer, 30% heart disease, 14% respiratory failure and many suffer with co-morbidity (dementia 16%, liver 4%, renal 6%, respiratory 35%). 206,085 (30%) live in the most deprived quintiles. There were 5,264 deaths last year with an anticipated rise of 17% by 2030.

Why Us?

Saint Francis has been providing palliative care for 30 years and has rapidly grown into one of the largest adult hospices in England supporting nearly one million people living in Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge and Brentwood. In the last 15 years patient numbers have nearly doubled and to meet this growth the hospice now employs more than 150 clinical staff. Our expertise covers many life limiting illnesses including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, organ failure and dementia.